Steve Bannon, the controversial former head of Breitbart News who helped President Donald Trump win the 2016 election, is out as White House chief strategist.

"White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Steve Bannon have mutually agreed today would be Steve's last day," the White House said in a statement Friday. "We are grateful for his service and wish him the best."

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The New York Times, citing two administration officials, said Trump told senior aides he had decided to remove Bannon, but he and other officials were deciding how and when to do it.

The Times also reports a person close to Bannon says he tendered his resignation to Trump on Aug. 7, but the announcement was delayed because of last week's violence in Charlottesville, Va. ABC News is also reporting that Bannon resigned as chief strategist two weeks ago.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Trump was asked about Bannon's standing at the White House and responded that he is a "good man," "not a racist" and "we'll see what happens."

Trump was meeting this afternoon in Camp David with several cabinet members and advisers, but Bannon was not present.

The move comes amid a swirl of rumors that such a decision was forthcoming and after months of stories suggesting behind-the-scenes feuds with other Trump aides, including the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Earlier this week, Bannon told a columnist with a left-wing publication that he believes a military solution was not possible in North Korea, a claim that runs counter to the president's own statements. Bannon also distanced himself from white supremacists as Trump faced a firestorm of criticism over blaming "both sides" for the Charlottesville violence.

Bannon's exit is the latest in a string of high-profile departures by administration officials, including National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Press Secretary Sean Spicer and the short-lived Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci.

CNN's Jake Tapper tweeted that a source close to Bannon said he is "prepared to continue fighting for POTUS's agenda inside or outside" the White House.

Source close to Bannon: he's prepared to continue fighting for POTUS's agenda inside or outside; doesn't know what decision has been made.

Bannon became a champion among some conservatives as the head of the heavily right-leaning news site Breitbart, leading some to question if the president would part ways with him and risk angering his right-wing base. But the events of the past week heightened calls for Bannon to go.

"There is one less white supremacist in the White House," reads a statement from the Democratic National Committee, "but that doesn't change the man sitting behind the resolute desk."

Breitbart's Joe B. Pollak signaled what the president may be facing in a post-Bannon White House, tweeting a three-letter hashtag: #War.

A source told journalist Gabriel Sherman, a Vanity Fair correspondent and NBC News contributor, that Bannon will return to Breitbart, which is "ramping up for a war against Trump. 'It's now a Democrat White House.'"

Bannon friend says Breitbart ramping up for war against Trump. "It's now a Democrat White House," source says.